July 2

I noticed that animals inherited Edom and thought that was my lesson, but God said read on. I read about Ahaz and then about Hezekiah and I thought Hezekiah, wow, that is my lesson today, but no. It is Ahaz. Because he thought that the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I’ll sacrifice to them and they will help me.

The Lord spoke about my life and ministry and wanted me to get this simple point – don’t do things because others have done them and had success. Do what I am telling you to do. I am encouraged by that since I have done what others have done and it has left me wanting and lacking. It is easy to read a church growth book and do what they did, but there is no Jesus in that, in fact it can become another god – the god of church growth expert advice – and when you look to that, you have to look away from God. It isn’t as if you can’t learn from others. In fact you can be stirred by others and how God has used them, but you cannot LEAN on what others have done – you have to LEAN and rely on the Lord. It boils down to trust doesn’t it? Who will you trust for success?